Sealable paint tray assemblies and paint kits, or more generally, wet architectural coating and coating applicator storage containers are well-known in the field of home improvement and decoration. For convenience of description, reference will hereafter be made to “paint” as representative generally of architectural coatings. References will hereafter be made to “paint kit” as representative generally of a paint applicator such as a roller assembly (a roller handle and removable sleeve), brush, or paint sponge and a paint tray with a paint reservoir and an angled surface for removing excess paint from the paint applicator.
Conventional roller painting equipment comprising a paint kit used by professionals or private consumers typically consists essentially of a roller assembly and a paint tray. During use of the paint kit, a quantity of paint is poured into the tray reservoir, which typically has a storage capacity considerably less than the volume of the paint container. The roller sleeve is dipped into the paint in the tray reservoir as the work progresses until the batch of paint is exhausted, at which time another batch of paint is poured into the tray reservoir. Ideally, the paint in the tray will be exhausted at the same time as the person applying the paint quits for the day or otherwise interrupts the painting operation, thereby leaving the paint tray open for an extended period of time. However, this fortuitous timing does not often happen, and paint is left in the tray and on the roller or other applicator. This paint will skin over or harden due to solvent evaporation. As a consequence, when leaving the paint kit for a long enough time period, the user has the option of (1) throwing out or cleaning the roller sleeve and pouring the unused paint back into the original container, which is almost invariably a messy and time-consuming process with the potential for spillage on a floor or carpeted surface, or (2) leaving the roller assembly and unused paint in the tray until the user can return to finish the job. If the paint is left in the tray, removing the skin that forms over the paint reservoir is an even messier task than pouring out the unused paint with all the above described disadvantages. If the user elects the latter option, as a result of solvent evaporation, the paint (which the user hopes is skin-free) will often be thicker than when it was poured from the original container. As a result, the surface covering ability and quality may undesirably be altered in a manner that affects the appearance of the paint after it is applied and dries. Moreover, items like roller sleeves are often replaced once painting is resumed. In addition to being inconvenient, this may become expensive, especially when the painter is using high-quality roller sleeves, but it is often a more popular choice rather than the long, messy, and often aggravating process of washing and drying a roller sleeve at any point when the tray and paint accessories are not to be used for some time.
Attempts have been made to address the above disadvantages by adding a separate lid that can be fitted onto the top of the paint tray. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,379 to Kern discloses a paint roller tray with a lid to prevent paint therein from drying out, but does not address the issue of the paint in the roller or other applicator. Billado's U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2004/0238399A1 discloses a paint roller tray with a lid and tray structure adapted to provide for storage of the roller in the tray such that the paint the roller and the tray reservoir are sealed to prevent solvent evaporation.
However, the above-described lids do not address another common problem with the use of an open paint tray. Specifically, it is common for paint trays to be used during construction and home improvement projects where tools and construction materials (e.g., nails, masking tape rolls) and/or project detritus (e.g., ceiling spackle, dust) are present and may fall into or contaminate the paint while the tray is in use, with negative effects on the quality of its application. Another problem associated with some of the existing lid devices is that, during a time of storage, they may become unevenly adhered to the contact surfaces of the paint tray. As a result, when a user attempts to remove the lid from the paint tray, it may stick, requiring extra force to be applied such that, if the lid then releases suddenly, the paint tray is upset, spilling paint and/or allowing the roller (if it is stored into the tray) to fall on the floor and become contaminated with detritus therefrom. Additionally, these lids are designed to be placed over the paint tray only at the end of a painting operation or when the user suspends the painting operation for an extended time. Thus, the lids do nothing to mitigate evaporation during a painting operation.